In the Shadows
by Dis-Appearing Writer
Summary: Everybody has secrets, some are just more deadly. Hinata never knew that she was the secret itself until something happens to change her life. Now with her true abilities showing will she be able to transform in to the powerful kunoichi she's always dreamed about or will she continue to be the timid wallflower? On temporary Hiatus until I fix my Word, sorry!
1. Chapter 1:Kicked Out

Summary: Hinata has always been in the shadows of others, whether it be her cousin, her sister, or her friends. She is what you could call a wall flower, never noticed but always there watching, waiting, for her chance to shine. But even shy, timid, Hinata craves attention, from her father, her peers, and most of all the one she loves. But how can you do that when you're always in the shadows?

* * *

Chapter 1: Kicked Out

It was at times like this Hinata wondered what would happen if she was the daughter the clan wanted her to be. Would she have been ignored? Would she have been looked down on? Would her grand-father still despise her? Would she still have been… kicked out of the clan? Hinata sighed, there was no use thinking about it now. She still remembered the events of the morning:

"_Hinata-onee chan, father wants to see you in his study," said Hanabi, her head peeking through the sliding door of Hinata's room. Hinata looked up from the scroll she was studying and nodded once to let her know she was coming. Hanabi stepped in, gently closing the door behind her, "What are you looking at?"_

"_Just a mission report, I'm reading it over before I submit it to the Hokage," Hinata replied. _

"_Yep, everything looks to be in order," Hinata than proceeded to roll it up before slipping it in her pack. As Hinata walked out, she was suddenly knocked into from behind. It was Hanabi, her arms wrapped tight around Hinata's stomach._

"_Hanabi, is everything OK?" Asked an alarmed Hinata._

"_Yeah, just be careful OK, onee chan*?" Asked Hanabi her usually emotionless facade gone._

"_What's wrong Hanabi? Is there something you're not telling me?" _

_Hanabi withdrew herself, _Yes, something _is _going on, _she wanted to say but instead she said, "No, better not keep father waiting."_

_Hinata smiled, "OK, I'll see you later Hanabi."_

Maybe_, Hanabi thought to herself as she watched her big sister's retreating back, wondering when will be the next time they even talk to each other again after today._

_Hinata thought her little sister's actions were strange but she had seen stranger from her little sis, the mask that Hanabi always wore was really slipping in that moment. True Hanabi let her emotion be a bit more free around her but… never that much. Hinata shook her head, no sense thinking about it now, Hinata stood in front of her father's study. She raised her knuckle hesitating for a moment before knocking, once, twice, three times. _

"_Come in," said a detached voice that she knew only too well, a voice that seemed both uncaring and dripping in disappointment at the same time as if whatever you do is never enough. _

_Hinata walked in to the room, the first thing she noticed. How many people there were in the room, "You wanted to see me father?"_

"_Yes, Hinata. It has come to the council's attention that you have not been improving in your… studies," suddenly Hinata felt like a little kid again. All the confidence in her was shaken out from her body by the heavy pressing stares in the room and the cold indifference of her father's tone but his eyes were pained and that was what scared Hinata the most._

"_B-but father I-I have been improving!" Hinata bit her lip cursing inwardly for her nervous stuttering habit._

"_Yes, I suppose so but, not nearly as much as we would've liked."_

"_B-but grandfather!" Hinata cried._

"_No buts Hinata, you have embarrassed the Hyuuga clan enough times," bit her grandfather coldly._

_Hinata opened her mouth to say something but no words came out, the counsel looked her disapprovingly, they saw this as a weakness. Hinata's lips pressed in to a grim line, she always had nightmares that this might happen but she didn't actually expect it to actually happen. At least not yet anyway, "Yes grandfather."_

_She refused to show anymore weakness in front of them, they didn't deserve it. Hinata raised her head high and spoke softly but it was loud in the near silent room, "I will go and pack my things."_

_She moved to bow but before she could, her grandfather was in front of her with 2 fingers touching her forehead with the other in a hand seal. The indigo haired beauty stood erect feeling a warm tingling sensation behind her eyes. The pleasant feeling didn't last long as white hot pain erupted behind her eyes; she screamed tumbling back clutching her sockets. When the pain finally subsided, she was on the ground her hair creating a curtain around her. _

"_Get up," her uncle said harshly._

_Hinata shakily stood up, swaying a bit. As she turned to leave, her mind in a haze she did not notice that she didn't bow or the pained look on her father's face. She walked to her room, feeling… odd, off balance sort of. Her vision was still blurry from the incredible pain that she had endured earlier._

Hinata didn't remember much about what happened next, just packing and nothing else. She finally looked up from her feet, here she was, the Hokage's building

***Big Sister**

**First fanfic R&R if you please :)**


	2. Chapter 2: True Feelings

Summary: Hinata has always been in the shadows of others, whether it be her cousin, her sister, or her friends. She is what you could call a wall flower, never noticed but always there watching, waiting, for her chance to shine. But even shy, timid, Hinata craves attention, from her father, her peers, and most of all the one she loves. But how can you do that when you're always in the shadows?

* * *

Hinata knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard the Hokage answer.

"Tsunade-sama," Hinata said in her quiet voice. Tsunade, a busty woman with long blonde hair and honey brown eyes sighed in annoyance. It wasn't that Tsunade didn't like Hinata quite the opposite actually, she adored Hinata, but she was always so formal and shy and well - quiet.

"Hinata how many times do I have to tell you - yow!" Exclaimed Tsunade falling out of her chair.

Hinata rushed to Tsunade's side, "What's wrong?"

"Hinata go look in the mirror next to the window," ordered Tsunade.

Hinata was curious but did as she was told; the mirror itself was beautiful, oval shaped with chestnut brown frame with delicate carvings in it but all this was unnoticed by the ex-heiress as she stared at her reflection.

Her… her… her eyes!

Her eyes were a light purple color that was several shades darker than that of her pale lilac ones. She reached up to the mirror the pads of her fingers touching the cool glass, like perhaps it was all an illusion. When she realized it wasn't, her hand covered her quivering mouth. She was shaking a small part of her realized, that part was also screaming at her that she was showing weakness and in front of the Hokage of all people! But the rest of her was hurt too much to care and… was that anger? Yeah, yeah it was, she grabbed a hold of her anger even if she had never really felt this kind of intense anger she still clung to it, and it was easier than the pain that was tearing at her chest.

Hurt was hard.

Anger was easy.

Before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed hold of the mirror and threw it on the ground. The mirror broke but it didn't shatter, she wanted it to shatter. She stomped on it with all her strength, she gasped when the shards punctured her foot.

_Finally! _She thought physical pain she could deal with, emotional pain she could easily counter, but this… this went beyond emotional pain. She was betrayed, by her family, by her sister, by her mother, by her father, her cousin, _everyone in the Hyuga clan._

She gasped mentally at what she thought, _It's not Hanabi's fault she's stronger than me. It isn't her fault that mother's dead neither is it mother's fault that I'm all alone. It isn't father's fault that my Byakugan was sealed. It's not Neji's fault that I feel like I'm worthless. _

She had always told herself this when she began to doubt her family and it always worked, but now the words felt empty, they didn't work anymore.

There it was again, that painful, tearing in her chest. She looked at the kunai in her hand, and she raised it above her arm, never wondering how she had got the kunai. Someone knocked it out of her hand, she looked up eyes wide.

"What do you think you're doing?" Seethed a violet haired lady with yellow-brown snake-like eyes.

Any other day she would've felt ashamed but this wasn't any regular day, she stared back at Anko unwilling to back down.

Surprise flashed across her features, quick enough that anyone who wasn't watching, wouldn't have seen it but long enough that Hinata knew it wasn't her imagination. But whether it was surprise over her sudden courage or her eyes she didn't know, neither did she care.

Hinata took a step back, dropping her weapon pouch, but everyone was still tense ready in case she tried something like that again.

"Why, Hinata?" This time it was Shizune who asked. Hinata glanced towards her, Shizune flinched when she met Hinata's intense gaze, so much different from the old gentle, complacent gaze.

"Why you ask?" Hinata whispered eyes on the ground. "Why? Because I don't want to deal with this – this- feeling! I don't want to feel like I'm trash! I don't want to feel like I'm worthless! I'm just _sick _of it, I'm just sick of it all! I don't want to be compared and talked about like I'm not in the same room! I want to escape this feeling that I've been feeling since I was _5 years old!_ You think I'm complacent, you think I'm nice, you think I'm selfless but the truth is _I'm just so damn scared_! I'm scared of what might happen if I spoke my mind so freely. Neji thinks he's _so _unlucky to be born in to the Branch Family but he has no idea _how good he has it!_ He doesn't have to deal with critical, ice-cold eyes watching you 24-hours a day just_ waiting_ for you to screw up. So they can laugh and mock you and ridicule you like you didn't already know how _pathetic you already are!_"

Hinata's eyes were fierce as she watched the 3 woman on the other side of the room. Each of them was speechless, they had never heard Hinata speak so much, or cuss, or talk so bitterly about _anything_. Not surprisingly, Anko was the first to recover. When she spoke her words were just as fierce and quiet as Hinata's were, "And you think hurting your self will change anything?!"

"It's easier than dealing with this feeling in my chest!" Hinata finally raised her voice gripping the front of her jacket and twisting it.

"You've been dealing with it this long, why have you snapped now?"

Hinata stared straight in to Anko's dark ones, "I was betrayed."

Anko surprised Hinata by letting a small smile grace her face; she stepped forward and gently laid her hands on Hinata's shoulders "Come stay me."

* * *

It was a couple of hours later when Hinata finally agreed to go stay with Anko. She stopped at the doorway, one foot already out the door glancing back before leaving, gently shutting the door behind her.

"Her eyes," Tsunade was the first to break the tense silence.

"But are we sure?" Asked Shizune worriedly,

"Yeah, she's definitely from the Doku* clan," said Anko calmly before walking out the door.

**Doku= poison **


	3. Chapter 3: The News

Hinata has always been in the shadows of others, whether it be her cousin, her sister, or her friends. She is what you could call a wall flower, never noticed but always there watching, waiting, for her chance to shine. But even shy, timid, Hinata craves attention, from her father, her peers, and most of all the one she loves. But how can you do that when you're always in the shadows?

* * *

A man with long brown-black hair tied in a low pony tail, with hard white eyes stormed in to the Hyuga compound. Every one stayed out of his way in fear that the man with the murderous face would do something to them if they talked to him.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The man bellowed.

"What is the meaning of what Ko-san," said one of the elders.

Ko's usually friendly eyes (something that rubbed off on him after hanging out with Hinata so much) were cold, hard, and _furious, _"Don't act innocent, why the hell did you ban Hinata!"

"Because Ko-san, Hinata has burdened us long enough. She is after all a spoiled brat that doesn't know what the true world is like," said Hinata's grandfather, now standing up.

Ko scoffed at this, "You guys think she doesn't know what the real world is like?"

11 people stopped outside the door listening intently to the argument, when they heard Hinata's name.

A silence, they presumed that the grandfather was nodding.

"Oi, Neji use your Byakugan and see what's happening in there," hissed a girl with chestnut locks in 2 buns and dark brown eyes.

Neji nodded before activating his Byakugan, veins protruded from his eyes like spidery webs. He looked at the door or rather _through _it, everything was in muted color but it was more than enough. Ino walked up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder placing a genjutsu on everyone so they could see what he could.

Ko's face suddenly hardened in to that emotionless mask that every Hyuga had down pat, he noticed that Hiashi wasn't here.

"She's been through more than any of you guys. She had to grow up without a mother, hell she barely had a father either; she always had to live with the fact that her younger sister was stronger than her and more favored than her. She had to endure hard glares, disappointed stares, and cruel whispers every where she went. She had to deal with the fact that her cousin hated her for something she doesn't even remember," at this Neji flinches. "She had to live with the fear that someday she'll be replaced or that she'll die alone and no one would notice. Hinata was never supposed to be born in to this family, this family where power meant everything and mercy and compassion were seen as weakness. Hinata is too nice, even if she was able to hate she would never be able to hate her family because it was her _family_."

Ko's face suddenly twisted in to a strange look and when he spoke his voice was cold, indifferent, but also ringing with barely suppressed rage, "You know what she used to say to me after her training sessions when she was younger?"

The elders stared at him; he took this as his cue to continue. "She would always say, 'No matter how hard I try it's never enough for anyone. Isn't trying your best supposed to always be enough? Well than how come my best is _never enough?'_ And you want to know something she was right but the thing about that is it's your fault she's like she is. Hinata has the potential to become smarter, faster, and _stronger _than everyone in this room if it weren't for the fact that this damn family broke her when she was young," Ko spat at them before whirling around and stalking out of the room.

Neji deactivated his Byakugan and the genjutsu was lifted. Everyone stood there in shocked silence; they were broken out of their state when they heard the double wooden doors slamed open with more force than needed. As Ko walked pass them, a jerk in his steps was the only sign of his annoyance, Kiba grabbed his elbow.

"What did you mean by Hinata was banned?" Growled Kiba getting in his face.

Ko looked around him trying to find a way out but found that he surrounded on all sides with no hope of escaping. He looked in to each of their eyes steadily seeing which one would let him go. They all met his gaze with cool and hard glares just daring him to try and escape.

"Just as you heard, Hinata is no longer a Hyuga and I had no say in it even though I'm a head branch." Ko hesitated before adding, "Stay away from Hinata for a couple of days, it's dangerous to be around her right now."

"For who, for us or her?" Asked Shino in his same monotonous voice.

"Both," Ko said cryptically before walking past them.

They stood there in their little semi-circle that was incomplete, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Neh, Neji how does Ko-san know so much about Hinata?" Sakura asked, her emerald eyes still blazing from the news she had heard earlier.

"Ko was originally Hinata's guardian."

"But I thought you were?" Lee said, tilting his head to one side.

"I was supposed to be but I was too young at the time and even after I was old enough I never wanted to be her protector. Hinata could have ordered me to be her protector if she wanted to but at the time she knew how much I loathed her and didn't want to push it I guess. Ko is the one person that Hinata has seen most in her life even more than her father or sister," answered Neji.

"Well, I can't accept it!" Yelled Naruto, everyone jumped at the sudden shout he was so quiet that everyone forgot he was even there.

Naruto looked up with his spiky blond hair sticking up every which way and whisker marks on his cheeks made him seem cheerful and happy but his azure eyes were determined, "I'll make sure that Hinata will get back to being a Hyuga!"

"And this is your room," Anko said finishing up the tour of her house.

"Thank you Anko-san," Hinata said politely.

"I'll leave you to unpack if you need me, my room is just down the hall," Anko said before leaving shutting the door quietly behind her.

Hinata sighed before dumping her bag of clothes on her bed and sitting down beside it. She looked around the room, the walls were a dark purple-blue color reminding her of twilight, the ceiling was a smoky gray and the floor was a polished black. The bed was in the center of the room, pushed back against a wall, there was closet beside the bed. There was a window across the room and the bathroom was next door, which connected to this room. The house wasn't as confusing as the room, really it was quite simple but sophisticated. When you walked in to the front door, on your right was the living room and on your left was the dining room/kitchen and right in front was a long hallway with several doors. That was where the bedroom, bathrooms, and washing room were. There was also stairs too next to the living room that led right up the roof, with a beautiful view of Konoha at night.

_So this is where I'm going to be staying._

Hinata sighed again before jumping up and began to unpack her stuff, when she was done she changed in to more comfortable clothes.

Just an old blue tee and P.J. bottoms, nothing special, Hinata started her way down the hall in to he kitchen, deciding to make dinner for Anko when she gets out of her room as a thanks.

Anko stared at her hands, thinking of Hinata's words, she had always thought that if she could start life over again she would like to have Hinata's life. But after hearing what Hinata said, she couldn't help but see the similarities of their lives. Growing up they both had thought that life was perfect but then they lost their parents (physically and emotionally in Hinata's case). Then when they had finally gotten they're life and mind in order they were betrayed by the person (or people) they trusted the most. The difference was Hinata's life was harder emotionally, she was always being put down and never was given a kind word until she was 12 and eventually that broke her.

Anko's hands clenched in her hands in her lap, Hinata had to deal with it for 12 years all alone and training only lasts a couple of hours as a genin.

_Those bastards, how dare they treat Hinata like that,_ Anko thought murderously.

Someone knocked on her door, Anko's head jerked up her hand automatically going to the senbon in her hair, "Anko-san? Dinner's ready."

Anko relaxed when she heard it was just Hinata, painting a smile on her face before going following Hinata out the door.

"You better get some sleep for tomorrow Hinata we have a big day ahead," Anko said after dinner.

"We?" Hinata asked curiously.

Anko grinned, "Tomorrow we start your training."


	4. Chapter 4: The Truth

Hinata has always been in the shadows of others, whether it be her cousin, her sister, or her friends. She is what you could call a wall flower, never noticed but always there watching, waiting, for her chance to shine. But even shy, timid, Hinata craves attention, from her father, her peers, and most of all the one she loves. But how can you do that when you're always in the shadows?

* * *

Hinata fidgeted nervously as they walked to the training grounds. Yesterday she had been so excited for this but now that she was starting to have second thoughts. It wasn't that she thought Anko's training was going to be harsh if anything she hoped it was harsh, it was just… what if she wasn't good enough? Then who would teach her then? Kakashi, definitely not, Kurenai, she was busy with her baby, as for Gai…

She couldn't ask anyone in the Hyuga clan nor could she ask Neji since he was always on missions. She sighed, there was no one left to ask.

Anko tilted her head to look at the raven-haired girl, "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," stuttered Hinata a bit nervous under Anko's scrutiny

Anko grinned at her, "Why so nervous? You look like I'm about to eat you or something."

Hinata looked away, a slight blush on her cheeks. She changed the subject, "So where is the training ground?"

"We're here."

Hinata looked up. "B- but this area is restricted!" Hinata cried, looking up at training ground #44 also known as the place where they held the chunin exams 4 years ago.

Anko winked at her, "Not unless you have the keys."

Hinata gaped at her wondering if she was serious, she heard the jingling of keys. A grin creeped up on her face, _This woman is crazy._

"Welcome to training ground #44 Hinata," Anko said, walking in to the place as if it wasn't full of terrifying creatures that were ready to kill you at a moment's notice. Hinata hesitated before walking in after Anko. Instead of walking in to the jungle they took a different path, finally they ended up in a clearing, large and circular with a river cutting the place in half.

"Um what about the animals here?"

"Oh, don't worry about them this place has a barrier so that no wild animals can get in," Anko said dismissively.

Anko sat down and motioned for Hinata to do the same, "Tell me what you know about your mom?"

Hinata looked down twiddling with her fingers a bit before answering carefully, "My mother was a very kind person, and she would never willingly hurt someone and she was very beautiful and-"

"I don't mean the superficial stuff I mean the really personal things. You know, her family and her past, you do know right?" Anko asked her, fingers linked together watching Hinata carefully.

"No, I don't really know anything like that about her; in fact even when she was alive my mother was always so mysterious. She never talked much about herself, I just thought that she was being humble but now that I think about it whenever I asked her about her family she always acted- on edge."

Anko sighed, "I should've known your mother wouldn't say anything about your Kekkei Genkai."

Hinata cocked her head to the side confused, "You mean my Byakugan?"

Anko shook her head, "No, I mean the other one.

"The- other one, you mean the ability to release chakra from my tenketsu points?" Hinata's brow furrowed, her hands falling to her lap, forgotten.

Anko looked Hinata straight in the eyes, her yellow brown eyes calculating, "Hinata, your mother came from the Doku clan, a very infamous clan in its day. Known for their one-of-kind Kekkei Genkai, now though… there are very few of them left if not none at all, not including you of course," Anko sighed looking a bit aggravated as she tightened her pony-tail. "Your Kekkei Genkai, as the name suggests is literally, poison. Poison circulates throughout your entire body, in your chakra system and even through your blood." Suddenly the snake mistress's face darkened, "Of course this also heightens your chance of death unless you learn how to control it within a month."

Hinata's paled, "D-d-death?!"

Anko nodded grimly, "If I can't teach you to control the poison that courses though your body, the venom will eventually reach your brain and kill you slowly, just like your brother."

Hinata's eyes widened, "I-I have a brother?!"

Anko shook her head sadly, "You _had _a brother and he died 16 years ago the day you were born."

Hinata sat there stunned before squeaking, "He-he died because of his Kekkei Genkai?!"

Anko nodded again, her face grim, "Your Kekkei Genkai is extremely powerful but it also has some drawbacks too. As soon as the Kekkei Genkai is unlocked, the person has exactly 30 days to learn how to control it or the poison reaches their brain and slowly and painfully kills them." Suddenly Anko's face turned more hopeful, "However though the process to learn how to control it isn't hard it just takes a lot of concentration. Once you master it though, you are able to release poison from just about anywhere in your body, even your tenketsu points, also because of the poison your body has a natural counteractant against any type of poison, toxins, or venom as long as your body is able to identify base of the poison."

"So how do I- control it?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

Anko shook her head, "I'm not entirely sure but if my hunch is correct you have to work off the excess poison in your body, when a Doku first unlocks their Kekkei Genkai they have an excess amount of poison in their body due to the poison that accumulates in their body over the years before they are able to unlock and use it. So basically I'm going to have you force your chakra out of your body by working it out on your surroundings."

And that was exactly what Hinata did, over the next few hours, instead of doing laps, practicing her chakra control, or sparring she was able to do whatever she wanted as long as she was forcing chakra out of her body. She found herself relaxing in to the mindless activity her body feeling better than she had in years, as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Anko watched her with an impressed eye brow raised, this girl obviously was strong. True, she wasn't a prodigy and didn't have a natural talent to this like Anko had but it was obvious she had potential. It was obvious in the way, her movements were so graceful she looked like she was dancing or like a rushing river, powerful but restrained or the way whenever she would stumble or fall she fell or caught herself in such a way that, it was made clear to anyone watching that she was not to be trifled with and was experienced and had a hardy body. But the thing that impressed her the most was Hinata's strength, even if she failed over and over or if she fell or if she was bleeding (which Hinata would heal immediately after) she never gave up with a determined light in her eyes that surprised Anko. Not just her emotional strength but her physical strength too. Anko observed the craters, holes, and other various wounds on the Earth with a critical eye; each one was bigger than a foot long and wide. To say the least Anko was surprised that the Hyuga clan let someone with as much potential as Hinata go.

_Then again, they're all just egoistical bastards, _Anko thought bitterly.

Hinata started swaying unsteadily on her feet but Anko hadn't told her to stop yet and she delivered one last chakra filled blow to the tree and it fell.

_Crack._

_Boom._

Hinata stumbled, _What's going on?_

Hinata fell to the ground, unable to move, her limbs feeling as if they were shackled down by led weights. She distantly heard Anko run towards her and she could see Anko's sandal covered feet racing towards her but her hearing was muted, the footsteps were nothing more than dull thuds and her vision was beginning to blur and shake. But despite all that her mind was crystal clear, something wasn't right, her chakra, her chakra was…. What was she thinking about? She couldn't remember, all of a sudden she felt like her mind was being swathed in a blanket, Hinata closed her eyes.

_Just for a few minutes_, Hinata thought sleepily.

_Just for a fewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…. _

**Sorry I haven't updated as soon as I promised I would, it's just that I've been busy with my science project (which I still haven't finished because THE FREAKING LIGHT BULB WON'T LIGHT UP!). Hope you guys liked surprise in this one****. **

**As for the mystery guest reviewer: Don't worry the main couples will still be Naruhina, the others will side couples (because you know I like those couples)**

**I will try to update as soon as possible**

**R&R everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5: 2 Days

Hinata has always been in the shadows of others, whether it be her cousin, her sister, or her friends. She is what you could call a wall flower, never noticed but always there watching, waiting, for her chance to shine. But even shy, timid, Hinata craves attention, from her father, her peers, and most of all the one she loves. But how can you do that when you're always in the shadows?

* * *

Where am I?

What's going on?

_Hinata opened her eyes to find that she was somewhere dark, it was pitch black and she couldn't tell when the darkness ended and when it started. She righted herself and found that her feet weren't touching the ground, or rather her feet wasn't touching where she thought the floor was. She tried to call out but found that her voice didn't work. She could feel panic beginning to crawl its way up her throat but she forced it down._

"_Hinata?" She heard a boy's voice call out to her._

_Hinata's head whipped around to find the voice._

"_Aniki*!" Hinata froze, that was her voice. At least she thought it was her voice, just it was slightly higher, more childish sounding, and had a slur to it as if the voice wasn't used to making words._

"_Hinata, where have you been? I was so worried!" The boy's voice called again, this time in exasperation and mock anger._

"_I was just using the potty," the voice- her voice sounded like it was pouting. She wasn't sure why but she started smiling as a ripping sensation, so powerful it nearly knocked her off her feet, exploded in her chest. Something about the boy's voice seemed so familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. _

"_Please- please don't leave me Hinata," begged a voice behind her. Hinata turned around expecting someone there, there was no one._

"_I'd never leave you aniki, you're more important to me than my own life," this time her voice was slightly older, more mature. "Besides, I'll always be right here."_

_The voices were everywhere, she couldn't tell which direction it came from, an image flashed through her head:_

A pair of dainty hands placing a bigger, rougher hand over a chest, presumably male, right over the left breast where the heart was.

_Hinata suddenly fell to her knees gasping, at the searing pain in her head, it felt like her brain was turning to lava and melting her head inside out._

_She screamed._

Hinata gasped, her eyes opening and jerking up. Her bangs and the 2 strands of raven-blue hair, that framed her face, stuck to her face, sweat lightly coating her face. She was tangled within the sheets; her hands clenched the blanket so hard her knuckles turned white. Her head was spinning, she faintly registered that she was in a sterile white room that smelled disgustingly like bleach. Hinata shut her eyes tightly, trying to make sense of the dream that seemed so real even though there were just voices and a picture.

_What does it mean? What? What could it possibly mean?_

"Hinata are you okay?" Hinata opened her eyes slowly to see Anko standing at the foot of her bed. For a moment Hinata wasn't sure what Anko was doing here and why Hinata was in a hospital. Then the memories flooded her brain, hard, sudden, and fast; the training, her mother's family, her bloodline, than the chakra, and the heaviness of her limbs. Hinata licked her lips, "What happened?"

Anko's eyes, that were previously studying the marble tiled floor, snapped to her, "I think the more important question is whether or not you're okay, Hinata."

"I'm fine but I would still like to know what happened," Hinata tried to sound as polite as possible but her throbbing head wasn't exactly helping.

"Fine, since you want to know so badly! It turns out that my theory was utterly wrong, now instead of having your bloodline under control, instead it's completely unstable, there, you happy now?!" Anko snapped. Her eyes squeezed shut, to stop Hinata from seeing the tears that had gathered.

Hinata's stomach lurched, "What aren't you telling me?"

And with those words Anko finally broke, her façade gone, shattered by just those 5 words. "Hinata I am so sorry, this is my all fault," Anko sobbed in to her hands, sitting at the foot of the bed.

"H-hey its okay, don't worry it's just a headache, I'm fine," Hinata tried to reassure Anko but if anything that just seemed to make Anko cry even more.

"You- you don't get it, Hinata in-in-instead of having 1 month you now on-on-only have 1 week be-be-before the poison reaches your brain," Anko hiccupped. Hinata laid there, stunned by the news.

"One-one week?" Hinata finally managed to squeak.

Anko finally looked up, her eyes rimmed with red and there were black bags under her eyes making Hinata wonder when the last time she even slept was. In fact, how long has Hinata been sleeping herself? "Anko-sensei how long was I unconscious?"

"About 5 days," Anko said miserably.

"F-five days?!" Hinata asked in an unbelieving, high pitched voice.

Anko nodded, "You only 2 days left to master your Kekkei Genkai and unfortunately we have no idea on how to do it and all experts on the Doku clan are either dead or in hiding."

Hinata clutched her head, what was she supposed to do now? She didn't want to die; she just wasn't ready to join her mother and her uncle, as much as she missed and loved them. Hinata swallowed and even though she wanted to ask a million questions, there was one question that pressed more heavily on her mind than the others.

"How are you dealing with this Anko-sensei?" Hinata whispered.

Shock was clear on Anko's face, Hinata had just gotten the news that she would be dead in 2 days and that there was no way to stop it and _that _was what she was worried about?! "You just got the news that you would be dead within 2 days and _that's _what you're worried about?! What in the world is _wrong _with you?!"

Hinata giggled at the incredulous expression on Anko's face, "A lot of things considering I have you as my teacher."

Anko couldn't help it, she laughed, it was _amazing_ how _nice _Hinata was, and how she was able to laugh even when she was going to die and Anko couldn't, even though Anko had seen more deaths than Hinata probably ever had and hopefully ever will. For a moment Anko let herself believe the ridiculous notion that everything was going to be all right, that Hinata would live, that Anko wouldn't lose someone precious to her again (even if she had only known officially known Hinata for about a week but it was amazing how quick Hinata grew on you), that everything for, once, would go her way.

Than the explosion happened.

**Aniki= big brother**


	6. Chapter 6: The Mystery Guy

Hinata has always been in the shadows of others, whether it be her cousin, her sister, or her friends. She is what you could call a wall flower, never noticed but always there watching, waiting, for her chance to shine. But even shy, timid, Hinata craves attention, from her father, her peers, and most of all the one she loves. But how can you do that when you're always in the shadows?

* * *

Naruto smirked when he heard the explosion, Shikamaru had organized the idea and Neji had told him the information but he had been the one that really thought up the idea. He shifted from his spot in the tree that overlooked the Hyuga to get ready to jump when all the Hyugas came rushing out of the compound to investigate the explosion. Just as Shikamaru predicted it took exactly 31 seconds for them to come running out (give or take a few seconds). He waited 5 more seconds just to be sure that the court was empty before hopping down from his perch, landing perfectly on his feet with only a small, barely audible _thump._

"_Okay Naruto in the corner of the courtyard, there is a tree but it's only for appearances. The tree is actually hollow and if you pour just the right amount of chakra in it, the trapdoor in the tree will spring open."_

Neji's words echoed in his mind, Naruto looked around the courtyard looking for the tree and, _Bingo, _thought Naruto.

He ran to the tree, and making sure to stay in the shadows (you could never be _too _careful, at least according to Sasuke), he placed his hand on the tree and closed his eyes, concentrating. He never was the best at chakra control, his skill was above-average at best but that didn't mean he wasn't able to do this. Neji had said that there were seals on the inside of the fake tree, so there was bound to be resistance and the seals also sapped your chakra as quick as you can pour it, that's why he was nominated because you needed a lot of chakra for this and enough stamina to match the Hyuga elders.

Naruto heard a tiny click as the door slid out from underneath his hand, grinning, he stepped through the hole and fell.

_Okay, I sooo did not see this coming, _he thought before reaching out with a chakra filled hand to the side of the tree trunk, effectively stopping his descent. He looked down, there was darkness and he couldn't even see the end of the tunnel (or whatever you called this). He eased back on the chakra in his hand so that instead of falling down, he instead was sliding down the wall,more or less.

The moment his feet touched solid ground he immediately started coughing. There was just so much _dust _in the air, he squinted his eyes to protect his vision from the dust. It was everywhere, on the ground, on the bookshelves that were practically sagging from the weight of the books on them, on the desks that were overflowing with scrolls that were just as dusty, hell there was even dust on the walls and ceiling. But he could tell that someone had recently been here; there were fresh footsteps that couldn't have been clearer on the one-inch dust if it had been blood on snow. Instantly he became cautious, Neji had told him that no one had been in this basement for over a decade, so who went down here? His ears picked up a small noise, it sounded an awful lot like wheezing as if someone was struggling to breathe in the dusty, stale air. He carefully walked over to the noise, grateful for the dust padding his footsteps on the creaky floor. The sound was coming from a wall at the very end of the room, when he saw what who it was he froze.

There was a guy there with wild, stringy, tangled black hair, he was so skinny Naruto could count each of his ribs without trying, the rags that could hardly be called clothes hung off his frame, he was also barefoot. But that wasn't what caught Naruto's attention the most, it was the fact that his wrists (which were red and looked like it was infected) were chained to wall and he was _covered _in scars. Some faded, some fresh and still raw, and others just beginning to scab over. Naruto sucked in a breath, disgusted by what he saw but apparently he was too loud because at the sound the guy's head, which had been hanging limply before, snapped up to meet Naruto's blue eyes with his own bright purple gaze. Naruto took a step back, surprised at how clear and intense his eyes were.

"Who's there? Show yourself?!" The guy barked in a raspy but commanding voice. Naruto stepped out from behind the book shelf in to the dim light the overhead light bulb was casting.

The guy instantly began to shake uncontrollably, "I told you already, I won't do it! So just leave me alone!"

_He's afraid of me, _Naruto realized. Naruto took a step toward him, who jumped back (not that he could anyway), "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

Instead of reassuring him the words seemed to make him angry instead, "Right, like I'll believe you. I may not be the smartest person in the world but I know better than to trust your word."

Naruto crouched in front of him, taking one of the shackles and pulled, yanking it clear out of the wall.

"Didn't you hear, what I said? I said, I don't trust you."

"I heard what you said but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave you down here to rot," Naruto said calmly working on the other shackle.

Mr.-I-don't-trust-you gaped at him in disbelief, making Naruto smirk at the comical expression.

"Who _are _you?" He whispered rubbing his wrists, after Naruto had freed them from the restraints.

"I'm Naruto Uzamaki, the next Hokage of Konoha," Naruto said grinning at him before getting up. "Can you walk on your own?"

The mystery guy nodded and stood up but almost fell down if Naruto hadn't caught him, "Okay so maybe not."

Naruto just shook his head before putting the guy on his back and running out of there, completely forgetting about his original purpose to find something to black-mail the Hyugas.

**Hi guys! Okay so thank you soooo much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! As for the other chapters, I fixed my mistakes so that it made more sense (thanks guys for pointing that out by the way -.- (Note the sarcasm)) A guest has brought an important matter to hand now to answer his question: **

**Johnny: This story is going to have a lot of Naruto in it, he isn't just "Eye-candy" as you call it, but there will mostly likely be more Hinata parts, since she's learning about her clan and stuff but Naruto will still have an important role. And believe it or not your comment actually gave me the idea for this chapter (since I had no idea what to do next well I did, just no idea how to start it) so this chapter was basically about Naruto, I hope you enjoyed it!**

**P.S sorry for not updating sooner **

**P.P.S Merry Christmas everyone **


	7. Chapter 7: Higosha

Hinata has always been in the shadows of others, whether it be her cousin, her sister, or her friends. She is what you could call a wall flower, never noticed but always there watching, waiting, for her chance to shine. But even shy, timid, Hinata craves attention, from her father, her peers, and most of all the one she loves. But how can you do that when you're always in the shadow of others?

* * *

Naruto kept on running until he reached Sakura's new apartment, the guy on his back wasn't really that heavy but he kept on slipping off of him since he couldn't hold on very tightly; with his thin-as-twigs arms and his wrists an angry red. Naruto could also feel and _hear _each breath he took, a loud wheezing sound, sometimes accompanied by a cough that racked the boy's thin, malnourished body. To say the least Naruto was worried, _very _worried. He kicked the door in to Sakura's apartment, since his hands were too busy trying to keep the guy on his back.

"Sakura! This guy needs immediate medical attention!" Naruto yelled. Everybody stood up at Naruto's yell, one look and Sakura immediately leapt into action yelling orders.

"Tenten go and fill a bucket with water and get some towels! Naruto put him on the kitchen table! Ino you're with me, you too, Karin," everyone just stared at her, "What are you guys looking at?! Get MOVING! Everyone else clear the room!"

They all scrambled to follow her directions, all except for Sasuke who fell in step with her and asked, "What can I do?"

He waited for that falter in her step and the stopping and quickening of her breathing that he became used to whenever he was around but this time it wasn't there. Instead she stopped and looked at him with a steely glare that made him falter and stop beside her. "Are you a medic Sasuke?"

He shook his head, noticing the missing _–Kun _that was usually there.

"Do have any knowledge of medical jutsus?"

He shook his head.

"Do you know how to knit together bone, tissue, sinew, and flesh with only a thread and sandal without getting the wound infected?"

He shook his head again, now feeling a bit wary.

"Then you can do nothing to help except to _get out of my way_." Sakura snapped before turning on her heel and stalking into the kitchen leaving a dumbfounded and shocked Sasuke behind.

"Man, dude that's got to hurt I mean seriously one of your biggest fan-girls just blew you off," Suigetsu said, slapping him on the back, chuckling while sipping some water.

"Would you move fish-face? I would like to get in the kitchen before Pinky chews my head off," the red-head said from behind Suigetsu, her arms across her chest.

"After you milady," Suigetsu mocked, bowing and waving the way.

"How gentlemanly," Karin said dryly before walking past him, shooting him an annoyed glare and not even noticing her _precious _Sasuke was there.

Suigetsu grinned, straightening up while staring at Karin's swaying ass (not that she did it on purpose, which was driving him _crazy_).

Ino and Shikamaru both smacked him on the back of the head, as Ino passed them and Shikamaru stood beside them, "Get your head of the gutter."

"Hypocrite," Suigetsu coughed when he caught Shikamaru staring at Ino's ass too.

Tenten walked up between them and smacked both of them, making Sasuke roll his eyes (even though he was discreetly watching Sakura's ass too when she was stalking away).

"Both of you get your head out of the gutter," Tenten scolded while passing them, balancing a basket of water on her head and some towels draped over the top of the lid of the whicker basket.

All 3 boys went back to living room to sit down but it was a wasted because they had only just sat down for a few seconds when they heard a shrill scream. They all jumped to their feet, kunai's out and rushed to the kitchen to see Sakura with her hands on the guy's ribs and him screaming, his face white and pained.

"What are you doing?! You're hurting him!" Chouji yelled, looking horrified when they head a cracking sound and a piercing scream.

"I'm resetting his ribs, someone broke them and they were healed wrong, and if they aren't set correctly they'll end up puncturing both his lungs and heart! Naruto, how could you not notice this! I mean his chest was on your back for Kami's***** sake!" Sakura yelled, looking a bit sickened herself.

"Well _sor-rry _but I was too busy worrying that he couldn't _breathe,_" Naruto retorted sarcastically.

"Whatever! And I said to _hold him down!_" Sakura snapped at Tenten and Karin. Sakura broke another of his ribs and he screamed again, his back arching, and screaming more when he hurt his ribs even more, his face now haggard.

"Make it stop!" He yelled, silent tears gushing down his cheeks behind his closed eyes.

"Can't you knock him out or something?!" Kiba yelled looking _extremely_ stricken, his sensitive ears able to pick up Purple-Eyes humming-bird like heartbeat, every crack of bones, every heart breaking whimper, and every gut wrenching scream and his even more sensitive nose could pick up the smell of coppery blood, the urine that was staining his pants, the filth on him and the rancid, bitter smell of _fear_.

Real, horrible, terrible, true fear.

_What happened to this guy?_ Kiba had smelled fear before but never this intense, this _raw._

"Stop it! You're scaring him!" Shino yelled in a rare moment of abandonment, "At least make sure he's unconscious first!"

"Don't you think I would if I could?! Unfortunately it also seems as if he has an unnatural amount of poison in his chakra system."

"Well then let my bugs take care of it," Shino said, his composure fixed, his arms already up and a black mass already starting to leak from it.

Sakura shook her head, "It's not just in the chakra but in the blood too, Shino. I don't think your bugs could do that Shino."

Shino smirked, though it was undetectable from behind his collar, "Are you underestimating me, Sakura?"

Everyone looked at him in surprise, they'd never heard talk like that before and they'd know him since he was a little kid (well—most of them anyway). The almost teasing lilt in his voice was one they had never heard him use, well actually the only tone he'd used before was calm and panic/anger.

Sakura smiled, it was small, tired one but a smile nonetheless, "Have it your way."

* * *

"How is he, Sakura?"

Sakura looked up from her patient to see Naruto standing in the doorway of the kitchen and strode up to him, "Physically, he'll be fine. There were a lot of scars and bruises but I managed to heal them. Some of his wounds were infected but luckily the infection didn't progress far so we didn't have to amputate any limbs. His ribs on the other hand were probably the most troubling of his bodily injuries but he should heal without any trouble, I also quickened his healing so he should be up and ready in about a day or two. I also gave him some soup to eat and water to drink; I washed him too and gave him some fresh clothes."

"But…" Naruto could hear the word lingering in the air after her words.

Sakura sighed, tucking a strand of soft, bright, pink hair behind her ear, "But—his mental state is what worries me the most. I—I checked his vital signs and everything is in order but…" Sakura trailed off, gnawing her bottom lip.

"Sakura," Naruto said curtly, reminding her that he was still here.

"Right, I did a full exam of him physically and mentally. According to the results and the number of scars and how far they've healed—I would estimate that he had been in that basement for at least—10 years, Naruto. He's been in that basement for 10 years, Naruto. I don't know what happened in there but I do know that he had been tortured, not given food or water for days or weeks at a time," Sakura shook her head, her pink locks flying. "It's difficult to say what happened exactly, Ino and Tenten are in there with him right now trying to sort out this puzzle but I don't think they're going to get very far."

Naruto nodded, moving to get past her and in to the kitchen but Sakura grabbed his forearm, stopping him, "That's not all Naruto. I—did some—blood analysis to see if he has any family in Konoha—you know to take care of him after I release him," Sakura took a deep breath before looking at him square in the eyes. "You won't believe what I found."

Naruto stared at her, his gaze screaming, _Try me_.

Sakura shook her head, _Not here_.

He nodded his understanding before jerking his head towards the living room.

Naruto went to the living room while Sakura went to grab the people in her kitchen; Naruto went to take a seat besides Lee and Sasuke.

"Naruto, what's going on?" Naruto shrugged at Lee's question, the usual ball of energy that was even more energetic than Naruto that was called Lee, was even affected by the tense atmosphere.

"I don't know, Sakura said she had something to announce."

As if on cue, Sakura walked in wheeling Purple-Eyes in a wheel chair; now that he had eaten and bathed he looked a lot better, not great but better. They could all see now that he wasn't a boy like they had all originally thought, instead he was man maybe in his early 20's but some hospitality didn't stop him from flinching and tensing when he saw them. His shoulders hunched over and he tried to make himself smaller on instinct.

"It's okay, they won't hurt you," Ino soothed with a smile. He made a jerky movement with his head, which could hardly be called a nod, before uncurling from a ball but his body was still tense and his eyes still wary of them all. They all tore their eyes away from the guy and to Sakura, she had a grim expression on her face and her lips were pressed into a straight line, her green eyes strangely somber, "His name is Higosha*** **and he's…"

* * *

Hinata finished zipping up her lavender and white jacket, the sound echoing off the white-washed walls of her hospital, making the sound seem bigger than it would be in a regular room. Hinata jumped off the bed, today she and Anko would hit the library to see what they could find on her mother's—Hinata's—clan and about her bloodline, when the door swung open revealing The Konoha 12 (well, not including her of course) and Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo (Sai was on a mission for the Hokage).

"Hinata, we would like you to meet someone," Neji said. They all parted so Hinata could see the open door a guy walked through it, a guy with long, wet strands of crazy black hair and startlingly, bright purple eyes.

"Hinata," he rasped, his strange eyes filling with tears, his arms open.

Hinata took a step towards him and another and another, each step opening a flood of emotion and a gate full of memories.

Them playing together in the dirt.

Them making sandcastles.

Them throwing toy rubber shruikens.

Them laughing so hard, tears gathered in their eyes.

Them playing pranks on Ko.

Them running away from a red-faced Ko (both because of the paint and his yelling).

Them laughing at Ko's bad acting at acting angry and Ko's eyes dancing with amusement.

Their mother and father watching with proud smiles, when they both hit their first targets with their first real shruikens.

Them teaching Hanabi how to walk.

And so much more…

Before Hinata knew what she was doing, she was flat out sprinting towards him. She didn't how she got there but she was there, in his arms, her face buried in his shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his face buried in her hair, something wet touching her head, something wet sliding down her cheeks, she heard a weird strangled sound, a tightness in her chest, the inside of her nose stinging, a wetness touching her face.

"Anki," the word spilled from her mouth before she knew it. His arms tightened around her at the word, he whispered something against the top of her head, his voice full of wonderment, "Hinata."

"Anki," her voice was muffled and she suddenly wished Hanabi was here to see him too.

"Anki Higosha," she sobbed.

* * *

Kami= The Japanese equivalent of God

Higosha=Protector

**I am so sorry that I did not update earlier but my internet's been down sooo… Some humor is this chapter since if it was all serious somebody would start crying… most likely me. So yeah to those of you who guessed, this IS Hinata's older brother. So how do you think Higosha should be like? Please comment and tell me since I have no idea about his personality. **

**P.S. my longest chapter EVER! 2,045 words baby!**


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